Ministry of Commerce

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Wednesday announced a range of swift and decisive countermeasures in response to the US' continued escalation of unilateral protectionist moves targeting Chinese businesses and products, with restrictions spanning industries from cotton and snacks to AI, chips and polysilicon under the pretexts of "forced labor" claims, national security and other claims.

China strengthened export controls on drone-related dual-use items to the US, in order to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, the MOFCOM announced on Wednesday. The rule takes effect immediately from Wednesday.

Exports to the US of drones and their key parts and components, as well as related technologies, that are listed in China's Dual-Use Items Export Control List "shall be subject to case-by-case strict review and shall not be eligible for licensing facilitation measures," the MOFCOM said.

The decision was made in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Export Control Law, the Regulations on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items and other laws and regulations, according to the MOFCOM.

Also on Wednesday, China decided to add US-based Compliance Testing LLC to its countermeasure list and prohibit organizations and individuals in China from conducting any transactions, cooperation, or other activities with the company, China's MOFCOM announced on Wednesday.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has intensively adopted measures against China, gravely violating the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. The US-based Compliance Testing LLC had assisted and supported actions by FCC that undermines China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, according to the MOFCOM. 

The countermeasures will take effect on August 5, 2026. 

On the same day, the MOFCOM announced countermeasures in accordance with the law against six US entities for assisting and supporting Washington's illegal sanctions related to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with the measures taking effect immediately.

The six entities are Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., Stratum Reservoir, LLC, Altana Technologies, Inc., the Responsible Business Alliance, Verite Group, Inc., and Human Rights in China, according to a MOFCOM announcement.

The entities have been placed on China's countermeasures list. Organizations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in relevant transactions, cooperation and other activities with them, according to the decision.

The US has recently imposed sanctions on Chinese enterprises under the pretext of so-called "forced labor," seriously violating international law and the basic norms governing international relations and gravely infringing upon China's sovereignty, security and development interests, the MOFCOM said.

The six US entities assisted and supported the illegal US sanctions related to Xinjiang, and their actions were egregious in nature, the ministry said.

The National Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) has decided to suspend, effective immediately, the post-certification factory follow-up inspections conducted by US certification bodies entrusted by designated institutions for China Compulsory Certification (CCC), according to CCTV News.

The MOFCOM also announced to initiate a foreign trade national security investigation into imported office equipment with printing and copying functions that is installed with foreign system software, effective Wednesday. This marks China's first national security investigation in foreign trade.

The subject of the investigation is imported office equipment with printing and copying functions that is installed with foreign system software. Foreign system software refers to driver software and embedded software developed, tested, or maintained by foreign individuals or entities, according to the MOFCOM.

China's countermeasures against the negative measures taken by the FCC and US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are generally restrained, a MOFCOM spokesperson said on Wednesday, after China announced a slew of countermeasures.

The spokesperson urged the US side to immediately revoke the relevant measures, stop its wrongdoings, and return to the correct track of resolving differences through friendly consultation and cooperation and work together to maintain a constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability.

"If the US insists on introducing new restrictive measures against China, China will take further countermeasures," the spokesperson stated.

Global Times